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Welcome to the program. I am Peter Rosenberg and I am America's caregiver. Glad to be with you. HopefortheCaregiver.com. I may be the only person.
Certainly, the last decade, who has taken Johnny Erickson Tata on a horseback trail ride. And every now and then, I'll get on the horse here in Montana and I'll FaceTime her and I'll turn the camera around so she could see between the horse's ears. And we've gone over all kinds of cattle trail and went up beautiful views, and we crossed a creek or so a time or two, and we've had a good time with that. And she got a lot of commentary that she didn't probably ask for. We've been friends for many, many years, and most people know her as.
Author and painter, and the founder of Johnny and Friends, and a tireless advocate for Christian ministry to the disability community. I know her as somebody who consistently points me to Christ and has traveled with me through some very difficult times, with Gracie's through some tough times. And so I'm glad she's here with me today. Her new book is called Keeping Faith When Life Hurts. 100 devotions for hard days.
And so, Johnny, welcome to the program. And we don't have to saddle up today, if that's okay. Oh, I love it whenever, Peter, I love it whenever I get to ride a horse with you. And I don't know, you've shown me moose on your property. And newborn foals, maybe?
I can't remember, but calves, we've got it all out here. Amazing. And I'm just grateful that you always think of me. I mean, I'm paralyzed in a wheelchair. And so little.
But you've been on a Montana trail ride. I have. I have. And we've promised that when we get to heaven, we're going to do that. There's going to be quite a few of us on that trail ride.
Oh, yeah. And I'll probably be riding that horse from the little rascals that had the big sway back. I don't know if you remember that or not. You are irrepressible. Nobody can stop you.
No, well, and many should. But I'm glad you're here. I love the book and I thank you for sending me a copy of this. And of course, I love the source material from it. Pearls of Great Price, a lot of that.
When I saw the title, though, 100 Devotions for Hard Days on the subtitle there, and I thought, when have you. not had a hard day. That's my first question to you, Johnny. When have you not had a hard day? I I don't know.
I am always in pain, it seems. I know I. I guess I don't have a hard day when When I'm at a like a five or six, that's that's kind of a not having a hard day. If I'm my pain is at a five or six level, that's a pretty good. That's pretty good.
Yeah. Just recently, you celebrated. You didn't celebrate, you marked it, the 59th anniversary of your diving accident. And that's my birthday. And so we always connect back and forth on that day.
And I can't help but think, and I'm not meaning to say that you're older than me, I would never say that. But your social security number is one. But I didn't want, I didn't say that, Johnny. I didn't say that. But, but I was four years old when you got hurt, and I was thinking about that on my birthday.
I don't remember my fourth birthday. I'm sure my parents did a cake with my brothers, and it was meaningful and all that kind of thing. But. couple hundred miles to the north of us, Something very different was happening at the Chesapeake Bay there. And I always stop and think about that and think about what that day must have been like for you.
What is suffering teaching you? And more importantly, what is the Holy Spirit teaching you through suffering?
Now as you go through almost 60 years, that you didn't know at year five. 25 forty and fifty. You know, first I've got to say I can't. I Yes. Our souls must be Um, timeless.
I mean, there must be something about us on the inside that really. has the mark of eternity because I just It feels like I don't know. A few minutes gone by yet when people recount to me certain incidents or things happening or events. It seems so far away, so long ago. But uh My life has just gone by so quickly.
And I look back on that day. And, you know, I'm going to. We're going to argue about this because I do celebrate it. I think because Um God took what I thought was the ruin of my life. Breaking my neck.
And it became Um the most Useful. Most uh meaningful, purposeful. And I dare say strangely wonderful thing in my life. in that it it's being used by him to um reach a lot of people with disabilities and places like Mozambique and Madagascar and Thailand and Uganda and other places. It's Peru and I just I just I stand in awe.
I really do. I'm not saying that it's easy. None of this is easy. It's just a... It's so hard every day, but.
I'm just grateful, Peter. I really am. And I'm grateful for the way that Even God has used you in gracie. My goodness. The National Asyndicated Radio Program helping other people, other caregivers.
And one of them is my husband. He likes your book. My husband Ken really thinks a lot of your book. In fact, he has recommended it to a couple of people who are struggling with caregiving. And I just think that's wonderful, Peter, the testimony that you and Gracie have.
When Ken wrote the forward to one of my books, um His first sentence really struck me. He says, Do we really need a book for caregivers? And Ken said, Yeah, we do. And I thought, and I imitate Ken sometimes because he's talked about when he would pick you up and move you. And he would always go, Hey, you know, and make all these.
And I do that with Gracie when I'm helping her sit down or think. I'm like going, uh. And she always appreciates that. No, she does it. But it's, you know, but you and Ken have been married now.
40 four years. Our 40th anniversary is next year.
So, congratulations.
Well, thank you.
Next, not next year, next week.
Next, I better. Bro, hold on, dear diary. Make sure you remember this. But 40 years, and you know, we cover a lot of ground when you're dealing with disabilities of the levels that you and Gracie deal with in these kinds of times. And Hey.
Do you You run into people who are not believers who are suffering. I run into people who are all the time who are dealing with things, not necessarily down the road as far as we are with Gracie and I, because I haven't seen many unbelievers through this. Do you ever ask them? How do you do this without Christ? Uh There's a lot of depression.
I don't know. A lot of depression. Um I dare say Uh suicide? I know that uh I keep I keep Watch on Um suicide statistics and the breakdowns of those statistics. And it's amazing how many people.
suffer a stroke or get a diagnosis of ALS and And they're ready to move to the state of California, where the courts have just adjusted the definition for quote terminal illness to quote unbearable suffering.
So if anybody's going through unbearable suffering, then they can. just come to the state of California. Um I think going to the state of California would qualify as unbearable suffering, but that's a different conversation. I look at the same statistics but differently. Because there's a rise of murder suicides.
Among caregiving. Couples. Wow. Because one person is taking care. I just saw this in the news just this week.
taking care of a loved one with a severe disability. And then that caregiver gets a bad diagnosis. Mm. And this is what's happening. And so I see these things, and I look at the despair level that people have and.
My own husband, he'll be 80 this year. And we were just talking about this earlier this week. That as he I know enters his eighties And I'm going to be 77. Um W we need more help. Ken simply cannot do.
of the sorts of things that he's doing for me right now. And uh We both have been praying about it. We both need to. Um start checking around and seeing you know might there where are some sources where we can get a little extra help And this just goes to show. Eight.
I'm Johnny Erickson Tahada. But I still have trouble finding caregivers. I still have trouble finding help. And I go to a great church. But People are busy.
People are afraid of, let's say, the you know, the extra commitment. Um a sacrifice involved. And so anyway, we're talking about that even now as Ken gets into his 80s.
Well, I'm only 35, but caregiving is hard on you, as you can tell. Because look what it did to me. No, I think about that with Ken as he's 80. And Gracie told me the other night, she said, you know, you can't keep pushing yourself the way you push yourself. And I told her, I said, well, which activity do you want me to stop, Gracie?
You know, goes. This is it. But that's what I think I get out on a horse and just kind of decompress my brain a little bit. Yeah, no Kirg ever needs that, right?
Well, if you can't use a real one, just go to Walmart or something where they got those fake ones you put a quarter in and sit there and pretend. But for me, that's the way I disconnect a little bit, but I don't get a day off. And that's to your point. I mean, what's a day off look like for Gracie? What for you, for Ken, for me?
We don't get those. And so it is a bit of a challenge. And I think this is an opportunity for the church to step in in a profound way. But we got to educate them on what this looks like and that everything doesn't have to be perfect. Cause I'm sure you've had plenty of caregivers that come in and they kind of freak out if they don't get everything perfect.
But it doesn't have to be, does it? It does not have to be. Although there was one caregiver last year, she learned my routine to help while Ken had to be away. for just a couple of days. And when he got back.
She said Man, you guys. I don't think anybody realizes what y'all go through. I had no idea what you all go through. And here I got the training. But when I had to put it into practice, it's just Yeah.
It's not not the first time I've heard that comment that you don't people I had no idea what you will go through. And and that's okay. I understand it. And as I get older, I'll I'm going to be having the same conversations. And that's one of the reasons I built the place I built here.
With our addition, with Gracie, so it is much easier to take care of her because I know that I am getting older, but. You know, here we are. Right before we went on the air here. I was answering an email from A friend back east. Her friend is the uh mother of an aging adult.
child with a disability. And so her child was getting up to be 18, 19. and this friend is getting older. And looking for what? A community Living residential.
Center, and of course we've got the names of lots of centers. but not enough to fill the need all across the United States. And certainly a lot of these centers are pretty expensive. It's, it's, you've often said this, Peter, it is a crisis. It is the next national crisis.
Um That's Well, the president said he was going to deal with that during his election in 2024. I'm holding him to it, but I have yet to see some things.
So I'm going to have to make a call. We're going to have to call somebody. And so it's somebody's going to have to do something. But it is something that needs to be done, and we can train people. But in the meantime, I think that the church can, you know, healthcare traditionally came out of church.
The church. I mean, absolutely. And I think it's one of those things that we can do. And I think it's not something you're doing just as an act of charity. I think it's doing an act of obedience.
Right, it can also be an expression of discipleship. I mean uh it When you get caregivers coming out of a church, You get people who Do this out of the Out of the Um idea that that God would expect us to serve. And normal Christian service is sacrificial service. But you also get people who. Um take that service as an opportunity to create relationships, friendships.
and before you know it, a real discipleship. Um Can't but but happen. Yeah, sure. You're relating to one another on the most intimate and personal level. And I think it's a chance to.
I don't know. benefit each other in a relationship. You will learn things about yourself, about life, about God. When you're taking care of somebody with incontinence, that you will learn no other way. Absolutely.
And you could ask my husband about that. And that's. That's one of those situations where For myself as a wife, I always feel I always feel oh. After 60 years, you'd think I'd get used to that. But yeah, my incontinence is a It's a challenge that I just have to.
Trust God that the people who assist me, especially my husband. Um Is it going to get blown away by the the day-to-day routines that are just not fun. Yeah. No, they're not. And I have Mm.
I'm I understand it. I live it. I do it. But what helps me as a caregiver, particularly as a caregiving husband. Is when I consider what Christ did for me.
Yeah. And He condescended a whole lot more than I ever have. And um and and what it cost him. And the question is: while you're doing some of the more unpleasant tasks of caregiving, can you sing a hymn? Yeah, And yeah, you can.
You know how I know that? You should have done it. You've done it many times. You see, when you sing holy, holy, holy while you're doing some of the tasks that go on and being a caregiver. It'll change your theology a little bit.
Because it's not about, Lord, get me out of this. It's about, Lord, I'm going to praise you in this. And it's all good. That's why I put the piano in our bedroom so that I could play for Gracie. She didn't have to leave the bedroom so she could sing.
And because she's laying flat on her back like you have to, so much of the day, she's not supposed to sit. And uh, they don't really want her sitting very much, and so that way she can sing. And that's what I do. And you sing while you suffer. Yeah.
Well, I sing to the people who are helping me out as well. God's gonna love you. You're so good to me and he's Happy. with you for doing that. I mean, I'll just make up these silly little songs.
Yeah, the Lord loves it. Man, you put on my compression. Oh Down to my toes. You think this is silly, but this is what I'm saying. No, no, no.
I think I'm going to set that to music, Johnny. I think I'm going to write a song about that. Maybe a little more bluesy. Yeah, so By compression hose are tight. They're feeling just right.
Oh, no, I won't do that for you, Johnny. You've lived with this. Long enough. I'm gonna throw it throw a phrase out to you and see what you think. Sh Do you ever get the feeling that yesterday's grace doesn't always feel sufficient for today?
I sure do. Because it's not really sufficient for today. Yesterday's grace was used up. I mean, what the Bible tells us is that his grace is new every morning. His faithfulness, his mercies are new every morning.
And I think that's why he must have said in. the Gospel of Matthew. Sufficient unto the day is the Are there troubles that you have for the day? You know, don't carry. Yesterday's troubles over to today.
Just concentrate about today. Don't worry about tomorrow. There's no grace yet for tomorrow. you know it's not 12 a.m Yep. Starting a new day.
You got grace for the day. And I'm surprised, Peter. How With my own disability, and this is not necessarily from a caregiver perspective, but from my own disability. I'm just Doing great. One day and the next.
Next day, my leg bag clamp. breaks and I get urine on the carpet. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Why do you have carpet? We rebuked all of our carpet.
We cast it into the abyss. The only place I have carpet is here at the studio. All right, all right. We'll accept a rug. But carpet and disabilities do not go together.
They do not go together. You're absolutely right. Anyway, either or on somebody else's carpet. or an office at Johnny and Fred's that carpet. And I, it happens.
And yeah, it's like all of a sudden. I said all no. And I just have to. I have to talk to my soul. like David did in Psalm 42.
Don't be downcast, O my soul. Why are you so discouraged within me? Put your hope in God, your Savior. like you said, he went through a lot more mess than than I am making right now on this wood floor. You know, by the way, I did a bit with Jeff Foxworthy many years ago on you might be a caregiver if.
And one of the things we said on there, it started off with, if you have a professional carpet cleaner on retainer, you're probably a caregiver.
So that's when my love-hate relationship with rugs and carpet really reached its zenith. And so I was determined not to do that again. Peter, this is exactly why I wrote that book.
Well, actually, at the beginning of the book, you talk about this very thing. In the beginning of this book, and I want readers when they get this book, I want them to spend Read it slow. Read the intro slow because it gives you a picture into your life. Yeah. It's not a pretty picture.
It's the picture, what it means and what it involves. what's required in getting me to bed at night and Because of my lungs, there's just so much I have to go through. And uh yeah. Yeah. Just a lot of stuff and And when Ken leans down over the guardrail of my, I sleep in a hospital bed.
Leans down over the guardrail of my hospital bed. I've got so much. wiring and tubing on my face. Um He has to find me to kiss me goodnight. Bind my cheek at least.
And it'll say, you got this? Huh, you got it? And I'll nod yes. And usually, like I think I wrote in the book, I will say, please pray. Did I make it?
And I mean, faith doesn't fail that. That time I won't have to wake him up because I hate waking my husband up. I mean he Does so much on my behalf. And even with the caregiving help that we do have. He still has a lot.
on this plate. And so I want to lighten that load as best I can.
So often I'll just. You know By the lip and Try to get myself back to sleep despite the pain rather than call him. And How do you call him, by the way? Because you don't have much oxygen and you've got all kinds of stuff breathing at risk. Between our we have a monitor between our And there have been nights when Uh there might be somebody here helping.
and giving Ken a break. and the monitor to her room She has turned the volume down too low. And I have screamed. Ashley There's lame! And I can barely get it out.
But um Yeah, so before every if there's anybody who's taking my husband's place at night and providing me overnight care, I always say check the volume on your monitor because I can't call, I can't call very loud. Anyway, I've fallen asleep. Before in the just stretched out in the guest room a time or two and woken up to Gracie screaming for me and Oh. But she's got some piercing lungs and a voice, and it's a bit jarring, you know, and that's that's not uncommon for us, but but it's it is what it is, and um But it brings you back to this book that you've done and these devotions for hard days, because these are hard days. And one of the things that I've always cherished about you and your writing and what you do is that you don't write about suffering, you write in suffering.
You are deep inside it. and you write about these things and it speaks with such clarity. As you encounter other people, there are a lot of people that spend their time trying to, we got to get through this, and then we can get on with our lives. We got to get through this. We could do this.
Does Christian Hope look like to you, Johnny Erickson Tata? when the goal is not to get back to normal.
Well, Christian Hope for me is what I Believe The Bible says about it. It is that time when every single promise God has ever made. will have its finality. It will be the great denouement. Um the lame shall leap like deer.
Um Tongues of those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Christian hope is that time when there'll be no more disease. No more Alzheimer's, or no more spinal cord injury, or muscular dystrophy, or multiple sclerosis. None of that. Cancer.
brain tumors, all of it will be behind us. And Peter, that's what That's what keeps me going. I'm so excited about that. day that is, I think, very close on our horizon. that I I just uh Yeah, I can put up with this.
My affliction, what do you know, is light and momentary. compared to the glory that waits beyond. And so I spend a lot of time. looking at that glory and what it What it is, and rip up that weight of glory. I try and.
study up on it. Memorize scriptures about it, think about it. Because It helps me. View my Present-day disability. That's like monetary.
If I don't know anything about biblical code, And what's lying ahead for us On the other side of eternity, then my affliction is not going to appear very like momentary.
So I think about heaven a lot. No not As an escape from my reality, but as a way of feeding It feeds, it nourishes my biblical hope. And I tried to write about that in this book. Uh yeah. faith when life hurts because I want people to to be excited about.
what God has purchased for us through the blood of his own Son. You did write about it. You really covered this well. You know, you and I both understand the meaning of a confessing church, of a creed, of a confessing. And when we are confessing things, sometimes people think we're confessing and admitting to a crime, and that's the term they use for confessing.
But in biblical confession, we're agreeing with what God has said. Right. And when you are thinking on the things of heaven. You're agreeing with what he has already promised you. You're taking him at his word.
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness. And those are things that lift our eyes. Beyond urine bags. Absolutely.
Caregiving things and disabilities and hard-to-breathe moments because we're taking him at his word that there is more to this. It's difficult to do that. It is not an easy thing to do. And there is a point where you realize: okay, we're not going to get back to normal, but the promise is still there. And I was telling this to my mother.
My mother's coming out here next week. She's almost 90 years old. She's pretty sporty. I'll tell mom, how are you doing? She said, Well, I can't see too good.
I can't hear too good. I can't walk too good, but I'm doing pretty good. And she's pretty sporty. You sang happy birthday to her one time for me. Oh, my goodness.
But she can't see very well. But it occurred to me, and as I've shared this with her, the next face. That she sees. will be Jesus. The next time you stand will be in the very presence of Jesus.
The next time Gracie feels grass under her feet, will be in the presence of Jesus. Yeah. And I think these are. I think these are powerful things, aren't they? They really are.
And they are also for caregivers, not just for that loved one. who has a disability. Yeah, I think a great burst for caregivers since we've been talking about Um Yeah. biblical hope. 1 Corinthians 15.
58. My beloved brethren, be steadfast. Immovable. Always abounding. And the work of the Lord, it might be caregiving, knowing, and this is the good part, knowing that your toil is not in vain.
in the Lord. You know, when you do things. For the Lord, you know. Jesus, um um um emptying my wife's leg bag here and getting my hands full urine, but I'm doing this because I love you. And you've given me a love for her.
And I know my toil is not in vain. You're marking this down. You're making note of this. You will recompense me for this. When I get to heaven, I don't mean to think of it as a transactional.
mechanical exchange no I'm just speaking that. people need to know that When caregiving gets messy. And and uh Painful. But God notices. then it's going to be recognized that that that toil is going to be recognized in heaven.
So be immovable, steadfast. You know that hymn, Breathe on Me, Breath of God? And I would imagine that's pretty close to your heart, you know, but I love that line in there: that I would do what thou wouldst do. I would love what thou dost love and do what thou dost do. And I think about that a lot, and particularly when you're struggling to breathe.
Breathe on me, breath of God. My mother had a lot of breathing issues when she was in the hospital, and Gracie sang to her in the ICU, and you could hear her singing all the way down the hall, Breathe on Me, Breath. And nurses would lean forward. It causes the world to marvel when they see. Christians worshiping in suffering.
You've seen this your entire life. Before I let you get out of here, talk about that a little bit: the marvel that people see when they see rejoicing in the midst of this.
Well, it's so uncommon. It's so otherworldly. The world would say you've got a right to complain, you've got a right to. be angry. You've got a right to feel put upon.
You know, that's what the world is telling so many caregivers. their neighbors and saying you know things like that. But When you're a Christian and giving care, it's it's it's not natural it's you are supernatural you live a supernatural life And so you do things with his energy and the world looks on you and things. Oh my goodness, how great that lady's god must be. to inspire such loyalty as she cares for her husband.
That's amazing. That's what you want your neighbor to think. You know, you you you you want to You want your neighbor to look at you and. and be amazed. Scratch their heads a little bit.
Yeah, like, what is this all about? I've got to notice, ladies got. Her faith is extraordinary. Never seen faith like that. I want to find out more about it.
That's the way you want to whet people's appetite for heaven. For the gospel, just by being who you are to your next door neighbors who obviously know your situation. probably know your husband you know had a stroke and it's not easy and they see the walker You see the effort it takes to get in and out of the car. And a lot of people are watching. Through those windows.
in our neighborhood. They do watch, and sadly, they've seen sometimes me at my worst as I do it. But you know, I've had people come up. Over the years, and Gracie's had them, and I'm sure you, and I know you and Ken have, where they say, oh, you're going to get crowns in heaven. And they say things like that, or you're going to get a mansion in heaven.
When everybody says that, I'm like, well, who's going to clean it? You know, that's the first thing my mind goes to: who's going to clean this thing? And but, I those things don't mean much to me. And I was studying in the Gospel of Mark, and you saw the story of the men who carried their friend who was paralyzed up. to Jesus, tore up the roof and got him down to Jesus.
But as you unpack that, you realize they had to go get this guy. They heard about Jesus. They had to go get their friend. They had to schlep him across the, my last name's Rosenberger. I can say schlep.
And they had to take him across town or wherever Jesus, how far away it was. They get there. They couldn't get there.
So they had to haul him up the stairs. I have literally not only carried Gracie, I've helped pick up your wheelchair and put it up on a platform. These are not small tasks. And then they had to dig a hole.
Now I'm trying to imagine putting you. Through a hole in a roof. I mean, it's not a small hole. Not that you're a big person, but you've got a lot of gear going on. You've got things.
This is not a small thing that happened. And And Jesus, there's no record of him saying a word to these guys. He talked to the man. But I'm looking at those guys on the roof looking down the hole. And Jesus saw their faith.
That's all it says in scripture about that. And I thought. What There are a lot of times I've gone up to a soldier and thanked them for their service. But when their commanding officer who has a chest full of medals nods at them. That means more than any thank you for your service that I could ever give, because they have someone who truly knows what it cost them to do this.
Mm. And you have a Saviour. Yeah. Crazy. It's not a matter of crowns, is it?
It's not a matter of crowns. It's just one knot. It's a matter of Jesus. I just can't imagine when the Lord looked up at those four friends peering down through the hole. Just to see the space.
and what that must have communicated. Just one nod from a Savior who understands, who sees every night that you have struggled for breath, every urine bag, every hospital stay, every lonely time when you feel afraid or claustrophobic and all those things. He sees all that. And he He sees that. And so my last question to you.
Are there truths? That About God that you now believe more deeply Because he did not remove the wheelchair. I think uh I think it was mercy. You won't I don't think anybody listening is I can't believe they would understand this, but I I feel so unworthy. Then I think my wheelchair has saved me.
I don't know what I'd be doing if I were on my feet. But I know that I would not. Be as in love with Jesus. excited about him, singing to him. I wouldn't be having a ministry to You know, people with disabilities in developing nations, I just know I wouldn't.
I I know me. I I know that's not in me. And so I I'm just grateful for his mercy because that wheelchair. 60 years ago, rescued me from myself. And my base and lower appetites my My I don't know, just...
My wants and wishes, which were very earthy. and and not fixed on heaven so i I do think God for the wheelchair. It's his mercy that rescued me. And I thank them every night. I really do.
I said, oh, Jesus, you were so wise allowing that. Diving accident because now I just get it. I see. I can look back. I understand.
Let's uh It's so wonderful. And his mercy just keeps, the more I look at the cross, Peter, what, as you said earlier, what Christ sacrificed for me. The more the layers of Christ's heart just keep getting peeled away and you look down deeper in that inner sanctum of sharing. And his fellowship of sufferings and being united with them. What does it mean to be in union with Christ?
And he's just showing me so much more of his mercy.
So, yeah. That would be it. Are you tired? Uh Yeah. I am.
I had this conversation with Gracie the other day. We talked about this, and that's a it's a it's a It's a strange fraternity and sorority that Ken and I and you and Gracie are in and others. But It's okay to sit down and say, you know what, I'm tired for a moment and just say, I'm tired. Are you weary and heavy laden? And what does scripture say about that?
Yeah, come unto me and I will give you rest. I love that verse. That's a great verse. Hold on, my lungs are starting to... Yeah.
My goodness. I'm not the best person to be interviewed. What with my leg back? You are my favorite person to interview. And it's all right.
Just do what you need to do. I get it. But I wanted to ask you that because I know that when I looked at Gracie the other day and we had that conversation, she's tired. Yeah. You know, I lost my very good girlfriend.
a friend for 40 years, a quadriplegic named Vicki Olibis. She passed away earlier this year. And she had caught pneumonia and it was during a strike, a hospital strike here in the valley. And so, you know, beds were scarce. I don't know that she got them.
the best of emergency treatment and Anyhow, she was on a ventilator for vet. four or five days and uh And when she would get off of it, she would say, I'm just. Let me go. And, you know, they Yeah. Her family made that choice and so.
she breathed without the ventilator. I mean wasn't it was she wasn't intubated. was an external ventilator and she breathed but that night she just Drifted away. Hello. Hmm.
As tired as you are, and as much as you hurt, and as difficult as this is. Yeah. You don't want to retire, do you? Yeah. Because I keep thinking of words that in 2 Peter were.
Where it says that uh God is not slow in keeping his promise, as many would consider slowness. but he wants everyone. to come to repentance. And I keep thinking of those people with disabilities. overseas that we're helping to reach with the gospel.
the good news and I know I energize that work a lot with my presence. And so I want to Cheer on the work of error. Wheels for the World teams and family retreats and whatever. just to keep getting the. The good news out there because my The convenience of You know, me slipping away like my friend Vicki Olibas, that would be so convenient.
And so Nice, I guess. But The work is too demanding.
So I'm like the Apostle Paul. I'm torn. between staying here and wanting to go home to be with the Lord, but. There it says in Philippians. It is better for you that I remain.
So it is better for I hope. The people with disabilities overseas that we serve that I remain.
So there you go. Thank you very much for that, Johnny. And thank you for this time. I want to be very sensitive. The book is called Keeping Faith When Life Hurts 100 Devotions for Hard Days.
You have heard today from I believe the most prolific writer on suffering and disability since the Apostle Paul. What she has done and the body of work she's done, and trusting her savior with. this unimaginable journey. and yet she wakes up with gratitude for mercy. And if uh if if Watching this today has caused you to scratch your head.
then then reach out. Call. Because Johnny Friends, uh, johnnyfriends.org. Dot com Would be glad to take your call.
So would we. And to reach out and to say, Let me tell you how we wake up every day and say, Thank you, Lord, for saving our souls. Thank you, Lord, for making us whole. Thank you, Lord, for giving to me and to Johnny with the salvation so rich and free. We should sing something, Peter, before we sign off.
Should we, Johnny? Should we, really? Is that the word we're looking for?
Well, I don't think if I play, it won't, it'll be the timing will be off.
So, why don't you?
So, why don't you sing? Because I think there's some legal things about me singing.
Some kind of, you know, no, that's why I married a singer, so I wouldn't have to.
Okay, but I do love that. Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. And I think that's it.
Sometimes that's all you can say, but that's all that needs to be said. Be not dismayed. Whate'er betide? God will take care. Of you.
Beneath his wings of love abide. God will take care. Love you. God will take care of you. through every day or all the way He will take care of you.
God will take care. Of you The first time I heard you sing that was on speakerphone. When you called, and Gracie was just, she was in recovery after that very, very large surgery, nine-hour surgery, restructuring, doing her back. And I had you on speakerphone to sing to Gracie, and they heard it all through the recovery room. Of you and Gracie.
Between the two of you, you've got well over 100 years of disability. And you're singing, God will take care of you to Gracie. And she is mouthing the words with you as she did. And I thought. Your wife is amazing.
She's one of those 1 Corinthians six ladies, you know, she glorifies God with her body. You're bought with a price or glorify God with your body. She does that. She does that. She's tougher than train smoke.
And so she's a tough gal. Listen, Johnny, I thank you so much for the time today. And I know this is costly to you.
So thank you so much for spending this time. And I look forward to talking with you more. And I'll see you on the trail. See you on the trail in FaceTime. All right.
We'll see. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Mm-hmm.
